Going One-on-One With Apple's Tech Tutors

I recently took a test tutorial through Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) One to One program. The service, which costs US$99 a year, allows anyone from a novice to an experienced techie to sit down with an Apple guru one hour a week for one year. These eager teachers, dubbed "Creatives," patiently unpack secrets to everything from the basics of operating an iPhone to movie making.

It's all part of the carefully cultivated Apple experience, one of the reasons the company's customers tend to be loyal.

'The Nordstrom of Technology'

Stepping into an Apple Store is a cross between attending a seminar led by graduate students and hanging out at Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) . In addition to the tech tutors, there are staff manning the "Genius Bar," Apple's help-desk-by-appointment that provides assistance when things get stuck.

You can also book an hour with a shopping assistant to help pick out the right machine. However, if you just want to hang out and listen to music on iPods, or check e-mail on the spotless new MacBook laptops and iMac desktops on display, no one will bother you.

"It's really becoming the Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN) of technology," said Michael Gartenberg, a vice president and research director for JupiterResearch.

Driver and Navigator

When I arrived for my 10 a.m. appointment, Westfield Valley Fair was nearly empty, except for the gaggle of shoppers waiting to get into the Apple Store.

I headed to an iMac with Sundown, whose name is more exotic than his closely cropped appearance, unlike the tattooed-and-pierced look of some Apple employees. Perched on black stools, we were quickly joined by others participating in Apple's version of study hall. Some brought in their laptops. It's not unusual for someone to lug in their iMac in a suitcase.

"You are the driver and I'm the navigator," said Sundown, nudging the mouse my way.

The lesson I chose was making the upgrade from Apple's iPhoto software to Aperture, the digital photo management program aimed at serious amateur and professional photographers.

We reviewed the editing functions that, like iPhoto, are very intuitive. I quickly learned how to make multiple versions of a photo without duplicating the picture -- and taking up more space on the hard drive. With three versions of a nature shot in front of me, I could make different crops and adjust the tint of the images, then compare them.

Later, I created a photo book and sent a copy to myself in an e-mail.

I had a nagging question about the Stacks feature, which is part of the new Leopard operating system that allows users a different way to access files. They will spring up accordion-style from the dock. Sundown quickly answered my question.

Almost a Fifth of Revenue

Apple's retail stores, once derided by analysts suspicious of their ability to enhance the company's bottom line, are now one of the most powerful marketing tools for the Cupertino company.

The first Apple Stores opened May 19, 2001. In Apple's most recent quarter ended Dec. 29, sales from its physical retail stores accounted for about 18 percent of revenue, or $1.7 billion of its $9.6 billion in sales, a 53 percent increase from the same period a year earlier.

The One to One service grew out of the popular personal training benefit of Apple's Procare program, which offers faster returns from repair shops, same-day service at the Genius Bar and consultations on creating a backup system for Macs. Apple's Procare service, which also costs $99 a year, was a better deal when it included the personal training sessions. Nonetheless, the One to One service on its own is a bargain for anyone wanting expert advice on their machines. Overall, Apple conducts some 50,000 training sessions every week.

"I spent a lot of money on all this complex technology," said Jeff Davis, receiving a tutorial last week on transferring data cells from one Excel worksheet to another at the Valley Fair Apple Store. "I can ask guys like this dumb questions and I won't feel stupid."

Stanford librarian Soobum Kim said he initially signed up for the service to learn about video editing software. Then he began to explore other applications, including publishing photos to the Web. He renewed his membership in January. Kim got the service when it was first offered through the Procare program.

"I really love it. You can ask the trainers any question," he said. "They offer short cuts."

Long-Term Relationships

It's all about creating a bond between the buyer and the company, Gartenberg said. "Apple understands the importance of the long-term relationship with the customer," he added. "If people are constantly coming to those classes, that means they are constantly coming back into the Apple Store."

Even as recessionary fears have hit the company stock, which closed Friday at $125.02, down from its 52-week high of $202.96, the company works to lure customers, new and old, into its stores with special events. Apple offers free programs for children, including Apple Camp, which begins in July. During each 2 1/2-hour workshop, children ages 8 to 12 complete projects that they take home on CDs and DVDs. There are also weekly workshops for adults.

Its new store on West 14th Street in New York City has dedicated one of its three floors to workshops and personal training.

"Apple has become the new gathering place," said Steven Addis, chief executive of Addis Creson, a brand strategy and design firm in Berkeley. "You can't help but get caught up with it when you first walk in."

'Greatest Thing Since Apple Pie'

My tutorial ended with a quick review of what we'd covered.

Sundown told me that it's common for students, and even professionals, to use the sessions to help them create presentations. One grandmother used a tutorial to learn how to make podcasts with Apple's GarageBand software so she could read bedtime stories to her grandchildren, who live on the other side of the country.

For Father's Day, John Ivy, a retired flight engineer, was given a One to One subscription by his son, who grew tired of incessant calls from Dad with questions about his Apple desktop. Now the 79-year-old San Jose resident, who visits with an Apple trainer every week, plans to renew his $99 membership.

"I think this is the greatest thing since apple pie," said Ivy, who frequently bumps into friends leaving the Apple store after their one-on-one sessions.